Lequita Nix Hilliard v. Dolgencorp, LLC

**What happened:** Lequita Nix Hilliard worked for Dolgencorp, LLC (the company that operates Dollar General stores). She sued her employer claiming they discriminated against her because of a disability and fired her in retaliation for filing a workers' compensation claim. Hilliard argued that the company violated Tennessee laws that protect workers from disability discrimination and retaliation. **What the court decided:** The Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's decision to dismiss Hilliard's case entirely. The court ruled there was no genuine dispute about the material facts, meaning Hilliard couldn't prove her claims even if all her allegations were true. The court found insufficient evidence to support either her disability discrimination claim or her retaliation claim. **Why this matters for workers:** This case shows how challenging it can be to win discrimination and retaliation lawsuits. Workers need strong evidence to prove their employer's actions were motivated by discrimination or retaliation, not legitimate business reasons. Simply filing a workers' compensation claim and then being terminated isn't enough by itself to prove retaliation. Workers facing similar situations should document incidents carefully and consider consulting with employment attorneys early to understand what evidence they need to build a strong case.